


shocked at the sound of life

by lavenderlotion



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Engagement, Judgmental Hank McCoy, M/M, Sex Worker Erik Lehnsherr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:02:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26183887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lavenderlotion/pseuds/lavenderlotion
Summary: Charles and Erik being engaged, however, meant that Erik was once again having to interact with Hank which was, as always... less than ideal.
Relationships: Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier
Comments: 32
Kudos: 60





	shocked at the sound of life

**Author's Note:**

  * For [homosociality](https://archiveofourown.org/users/homosociality/gifts).



> thank you very much to jasper for looking this over and mid for beta'ing it AND TITLING IT even though it was a gift to you i adore you both
> 
> this is a part of a MUCH BIGGER VERSE i might one day write who knows

As much as Erik didn’t mind being around others—no matter what his mother said about his solitary habits—he’d never been overly fond of large crowds. There was something about the press of bodies and the ever-increasing closeness of crowds that he’d always hated. With that said, Erik wasn’t sure if he could really consider his and Charles’ closest friends a “large crowd”, but as the day drew on (and on and on and on) he was sure as hell getting less and less fond of the mass of people who’d invaded his home. 

Admittedly, though, that could be because Hank McCoy, one of Erik’s least favourite people—beat out only by the man’s infuriating significant other—had been, for the last... a glance at his watch confirmed that it had been a whole half hour, good God, prattling on about how happy he was that Charles had finally found someone who cared for him as he was.

Which... was a whole issue of its own. Erik certainly didn’t need to be  _ praised _ for loving a man like Charles. Charles, who was strong-willed, impossibly brave, frustratingly clever, horribly caring, grossly empathetic, utterly stupid and incredibly sexy

Now, Hank had bothered Erik ever since Charles had first introduced the two of them. Hank had, at first, looked at Erik much the same way most people looked at Erik when they knew what he did for a living—like he was below them. Hank McCoy, who was admittedly a rather tall man in general, had looked down at Erik like he was the scum of the earth. 

Now, don’t get him wrong, Erik was used to it. He’s been in the sex industry for a number of years, and he knows what people think of it. What people think of him. 

He had just... well, he hadn’t been expecting it from Charles’ best friend. Erik was never upset that Charles had told Hank—after all, they did have a very unique start to their relationship—but he certainly hadn’t expected any judgment from the man. Perhaps Erik had just gotten too used to surrounding himself with like-minded folk that Hank’s judgment had rather taken him aback, but it certainly hadn’t been appreciated. 

Whatever. That was a lifetime ago and it hardly mattered in the long run, seeing as Charles and Erik had just gotten engaged. 

Charles and Erik being engaged, however, meant that Erik was once again having to interact with Hank which was, as always... less than ideal. 

Erik tuned back into Hank’s nonsensical rambling once Hank stopped talking about the University, only to sincerely regret that decision when Hank asked, “What will you be doing for work now that you and Charles are engaged?”

Erik blinked. Closed his eyes and counted to ten. Blinked again. Hank was still looking at him with open curiosity, so the question must not have been a hallucination. “What the hell do you mean?”

Hank rocked back in his seat—Hank was on the large sectional Charles had purchased and Erik was in the arm chair he’d brought from his apartment—and looked at Erik as if he was in utter shock that Erik would dare ask such a thing.  _ Scheisse,  _ what a dumbass.

“You’re still...” Hank leaned in and scanned the rest of the room, as if half the people here weren’t Erik’s nearest and dearest, before he lowered his voice to a whisper and asked, “prostituting?”

“Tell me, McCoy, when you started dating that short, angry man, did you stop teaching?” Erik kept his voice as pleasant as possible with the thread of irritation that was pulsing behind his temple. 

Hank, the blubbering idiot, stared at Erik with the dumbest expression painted across his sour face that Eric had ever had the displeasure of seeing. “I’m... admittedly I’m not sure what you’re getting at here.”

“No?” he asked again, taking his eyes from the man’s ugly blush and seeking out his  _ fiancé. _ “Not at all?”

Hank shook his head again, and Erik let out a deep breath that did nothing to quell his staggering annoyance. “Why then, might I ask, do you think I’d quit my job just because I am with Charles?”

“Uhm... because you two are engaged?” Hank’s eyes went startlingly wide behind his glasses and he sat back in his seat, something like despair crossing his features. “Did you... turn him down?”

“What?” Erik asked, before he very obviously looked around the entire room where Charles and Erik were hosting a get together with their closest friends to  _ celebrate their engagement. _ Angel had even found a sign. 

Hank, blessedly, had the sense to look contrite at Erik’s snapped question. “I just...” Hank took a deep breath and looked as if he was doing some deep thinking. “Doesn’t... how does that work?”

Not deep enough, clearly. Erik took a long breath and, once again, scanned his living room for Charles’ frame. His fiancé was on the other side of the room, laughing at something Emma was whispering into his ear. His head was thrown back, exposing the pale column of his throat, his cheeks were tinted with wine, and he was the most beautiful thing Erik had ever seen, bested only by the way Charles had looked that morning, waking up next to Erik in  _ their _ bed, wedding band gleaming on his finger.

“Quite the same as it always has. I know you’re aware, being Charles’  _ best friend,” _ if disdain coloured his words, it was hardly Erik’s fault, “but I am a sex worker. Because of that I run several social media accounts where I post daily, I create and curate exclusive online content, and I work directly with clients, both in-person and online with whatever is needed.”

By the time Erik managed to pull himself away from the glow of Charles’ smile  _ and _ stop talking, Hank’s mouth was dropped open. Right. Most people weren’t actually aware of what Erik did or what went into it. No matter—Erik knew that he worked for what he had, and worked  _ hard. _ It didn’t matter what some oversized lab geek thought of him. 

And clearly, given by Hank’s face and the way he was, once again, very clearly thinking quite hard, it wasn’t very much. 

Gods, what a horrible conversation. 

“And Charles... he doesn’t mind?”

“Again, McCoy, I’m going to ask you a question, then I’m going to leave before I do something regrettable.” Erik took a deep breath and did his best to calm the rising volume of his voice, forcing himself to release the tension lining his shoulders as he reminded himself the idiot in front of him was probably only looking out for his best and only friend. “Does Logan mind that you have a goddamn job?”

With that, Erik stood and, loudly, announced, “Thank you all for coming. Charles and I are both incredibly thankful to have such lovely friends.” There was a chorus of murmuring, a soft, confused smile from Charles. Erik met his eyes and let his own smile turn devilish as he explained, “Now you all need to leave so my fiancé can fuck me into next week.”

**Author's Note:**

> come say hi to me on [tumblr](https://lavender-lotion.tumblr.com/)!
> 
> kudos aren’t the same as getting a comment, not even close. so a comment, as short and sweet or as sprawling and sporadic as you can manage, would be _greatly_ appreciated! don't know what to comment? how about _”this was great!”_ or _“awesome work!”_
> 
> i run an 18+ x-men discord server! check it out [here!](https://discord.gg/3uG3VNP)


End file.
